The premise was a simple one, I thought. A group of old (and getting older) friends would meet for dinner at the grand reopening of Lucharitos, the trendy Tex-Mex joint on Greenport’s lower Main Street, and then we’d go on a good, old-fashioned pub crawl around the village. You know: a cocktail here, a cocktail there, just like the old days. (more…)

Lucharitos owner Marc LaMaina wants to expand the kitchen of his Greenport restaurant, add a bathroom, a storage room, a walk-in freezer, expand the bar into a “U” shape, and double the number of seats for customers.

There’s nothing like salsa and sangria to spice up the middle of the week.

Starting tonight, Lucharitos Taqueria & Tequila Bar is partnering with Main Stage Dance Academy to bring “Salsa, Salsa & Sangria” night to Greenport. The event offers patrons a chance to learn to how to salsa dance while enjoying complimentary sangria and chips and salsa.

“There is not an experience in life that Latin dancing can’t make better,” Main Stage Dance Academy director Lucille Naar-Saladino said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Since opening in January, restaurant owner Marc LaMaina has been organizing special events that reflect Mexican culture. He hopes to make “Salsa, Salsa & Sangria” night an ongoing event in the village.

“This is a great fit,” he said about the partnership with Main Stage Dance Academy. “Teaming up with another business in Greenport is wonderful.”

Main Stage Dance Academy instructor Lia Daniele will teach the half-hour class starting at 9:30 p.m. at Lucharitos, located at 119 Main St. in Greenport. Ms. Daniele teaches ballet, jazz and hip-hop at the academy and specializes in Latin dancing, Ms. Naar-Saladino, said.

The event costs $20 and is opened to singles and couples of any skill level. Space is limited. Customers are asked to RSVP by posting on the event’s Facebook wall.

When Superstorm Sandy dealt the Greenport bake shop Butta Cakes a heavy dose of damage, owner Marc LaMaina didn’t see it as a disaster, but rather a unique opportunity to do something he’d wanted to do for over a year — go from serving cupcakes and sweets to burritos and beer.

“The storm came and destroyed our floor and our entire interiors, so we went ahead and put the plans together to change the business,” said Mr. LaMaina of closing Butta Cakes and opening the new Lucharitos in its place. “We opened on Dec. 21st with a family and friends gathering, which went really well.”

The 32-year-old business owner said not only has the transformation of his business into a taco and burrito bar always been on the back burner, but that he’s not the only one who couldn’t be happier about the new fare on Main Street.

“A lot of people are saying the food is awesome, the atmosphere is amazing and the people who work here are friendly, which is music to my ears,” he said. “It’s very affordable to come eat lunch and have a beer here.”

He said he’s also been thankful for the support he’s received from local chefs Robert Beaver of The Frisky Oyster and Noah Schwartz of Noah’s.

“Robby and Noah have really shown a lot of selflessness helping me out during this time,” he said. “I know that I can borrow from them if I run out of something and that really only happens in small towns like Greenport. ”

He said the menu at Lucharitos serves up simple and fresh food items such as nachos, tacos and burritos.

“Our nachos are selling really well, we have a cilantro lime shrimp burrito and a standard beef taco with fresh guacamole and sour cream for $3.25,” he said.

As far as the bar, Mr. LaMaina said there’s more to come in the future, including margaritas.

“We plan to eventually carry 15 types of tequila and once you’ve tried all 15 types, you can get a t-shirt,” he said, adding that the bar will remain open until 2 a.m. on Saturday nights.